Google Working With Publishers on New Cloud Gaming Projects

gamerant.com:

Google is working with major game publishers and will play a supporting role in upcoming cloud gaming projects. This news comes less than two months after Stadia's shutdown, representing a change in direction for the company's investment into cloud gaming technology.

Google launched Stadia in 2019 as a competitor to cloud gaming services from Sony, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia. Operating on similar principles to YouTube video streaming, the cloud gaming platform was compatible with PC, Android, Chromecast Ultra, and Android TV. However, Stadia saw mixed reviews at launch, facing criticism for its small library, performance issues, and lack of features. Ultimately, Google shut Stadia down on January 18, 2023, offering customers a full refund.

Geoguesser Player Finds Image Where Google Street Car Appears to Have Hit a Pedestrian

However, Google's decision to shut Stadia down doesn't mean it's given up on cloud gaming as a concept. According to a report by Axios contributor Stephen Totilo, the company's Google Cloud division is shifting to provide support for game publishers working on live-service games. This takes the form of Google's new Google Cloud bundle, which includes a mix of new and existing services. These include offering cloud storage data management, a game-focused server platform, and searchable game and player analytics. Google claims its new bundle will help game publishers and developers manage the risk of live service projects, which can be highly profitable but suffer from unique technical challenges.

Google is actively courting new clients for these services but has already found customers in the form of several major players within the game industry. These include but are not limited to publishers